The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-07-15
THE DECLINE OF THE X. OF L.
The Reasons That Have Impelled More
than 100000 Members to Withdraw.
Great Decline Of the Order During the Past
Fourteen Months-Failure of Efforts to
Settle the Brooklyn Elevated Strike.
THE KNIGHTS OF LABOR.
Facts Showing that the Great Order Is Rapid
ly Disintregating.

knights OF Labor disintregatingf No answer 70
the question be obtained from the officers OF
the Knights Of Labor. for within the last six
months they have grown curiously secretive
about statistics relating to their order. When
the secretary at the New York headquarters
was asked what was the present membership OF
the order be answered Grossly: THAT is our
own business" In the palmy days OF the
knights of Labor this same gentleman was pro-
fuse with statistics, and was all smiles when
questioned by reporters. From figures given
out lately by Mr.. Powderly-not to the report
ers, bowever-it is ascertained that the member
ship Of the Order of the knights Of Labor has
fallen from 1000, 900 to less than 100000 within
the last fourteen months. The loss has been
steady, and is on the increase, while the acces-
sions to the order grow fewer each month Lay
members Of the order beginning to ask
themselves how long these losses can continue
without complete disintegration OF the order
The history OF the decline OF the Knights is q
brief one, and the causes the surface
= Fourteen months ago their order was at the
zenith OF it's influence; more than million
men walked under its banners. and it looked as
IN it would absorb oil other associations of work
ingmeu. The idea of close union and a con-
centration Of strength by autocratic manage
nent then popular, and was supposed to be
under which labor suffered could be righted. BY
the rules of the order the identity of the differ
ent trades-uniops was lost and the democracy
Of labor changed into the autocracy which
from the power of it's cohesiveness, was expected
to wiring from capitalists any concessions desired.
The first great test of the efficiency of this or
der OF things was the St Louis railroad strike a
little more than year ago. The history of this
affair is still fresh in the public mind. A few
men had grievances against their employers
which could possibly have been settled in ten
minutes by a conference. but the order Of
Knights. thinking this excellent opportunity
TO show the effectiveness of it's constitution and
its superiority over the old trade5-union laws,
ord erec general strike on the system, Affecting
thousands of men who had not even heard of the
original trouble, and who went out without
idea OF the reason for their giving up work
In carrying into effect the chief principle
which it was founded, and more than 100. 900
men left the order. Since that time defections
have continued. and almost every of them
is traced to the same cause.-The attempt of the
leaders to regulate the affairs OF individual
trades.
The losses have been greatest in New York
District Assembly No 40 has lost half its mem
bers within fourteen months. The first great
detection that OF the international Cigar
makers Union, which left the assembly in a
body account of interference with its af-
fairs during a strike. The Knights of Labor lost
twenty eight thousand men by this move alone.
Afterwa-d there were similar troubles with the
bakers, the brick-layers. and almost every other
class artisans. resulting in the retirement from
the order OF various unions and individual
members
Reports from ali sections of the country chow
the same condition of things Nearly every
day there Is n dispatch in the papers announcing
the retirement of some assembly or branch
from the Knights of Labor few days ago
Gambrinus Assembly, of Cincinnati, consisting
Of six hundred brewers babe good-byS to the
Knights and Joined the Brewers Union A
Few days before tine whole Of assembly No. 49,
made up Of carpet workers. was iost-for the
executive board in the carpet-workers affairs.
These large defections getting to be COM
mon that notice is taken of the branches
which are departing daily But the small losses
are telling seriously on the numbers of the once
powerful order. OF course, it is not likely that
the same ratio of losses will be kept up in the
next fourteen months. but even il there
half as many objections there have been in
the last year, there will be no longer any ques-
ton of the early dissolution of the order
Most of the recent attempts of the Knights to
compensate for their losses by inducing other
labor associations TO join them have been fail
At the last convention of the Amalga-
mated Association of Iron and Steel-workers
Mr. Powderly preached. prayed and begged the
delegates to give up their union and form dis
trict assembly They declined, and Mr.. Pow
6erly's subsequent course has made them. and
the trades-unions generally. lasting enemies OF
the Knights. When troubles broke out recently I
between the iron and stee-workers and their
employers at Mingo Junction, Mr.. w. II. Bailey, 4
.Powderlys representative, telegTaphed all over
the country for non-union men to take the places
Of the men on strike. This policy of revenge
after attem pied coercion has put the trades
unions on their guard, and has deferred several
Of them from continuing negotiations which had
been begun with the Knights of Labor.
And what has become of all the recreant
Knights2 Two hundred thousand of them have
gone back to their old trades unions while the
rest tending that way, or have concluded to
give M all kinds OF labor organizations. The
result has been that the trades-unions have taken
new life. In December last they met at Druid
Hall. Columbus, o., and formed the American
Federation of Labor. Only dozen unions were
represented. and the Knights laughed at the pro-
xunAn ffA rfxu al a.fz trn
laugh was not long continued. Laborine men in
every branch of trade began to pour into the
new order. and now. after six months. it claims
n mem bership of 500 000-as many as remain
in the knights of Labor order. More than
third OF the members retired Knights OF !
Labor In fact, the federation has proved
q welcome haven for men who have become dis
gusted with autocratic rule. Fifty-th unions |
have already affiliated. These include the bal |
ers, boiler IN akers, book-keepers, bottle blowers
boatmen, brewers, brick-layers, brush-makers |
carpenters, cigar makers. carriage-makers. coal
miners engineers, fremen, furniture makers, |
glass workers, granite workers, hatters, horse
shoers, iron and steel-workers, BARRIERS, metal /
workers, musicians, painters, piSno-makers, |
plasterers, plumberers. brakemen, conductors. |
stereotypers, tailors, photographers, ie-work-
ers typographical union, weavers and wood |
carvers.
movement has just been placed on foot by |
which the federation is likely TO make more i'm /
mense accessions Railroad hands, including
trsnmen, who are already members, organ
izing all over the country, and have begun me-
kotlhblVus Will Inc LeuorattOu WlCn a view OF 1
joining It. There are several hundred thousand
OF this class of workinRmen, and their union i
With the new order would place il far ahead OF
the knights of Labor About twenty Thousand
railroad employees have already organized into
branches and been admitted Another big gain
will be the Amalgnmated Association of Iron
and Srrel-workers. This association has prac-
ideally joined the federation. An open war be-
tween the American Federation of Labor and
the Knights of Labor is on the carpet and as
their principles Numerically opposed.
one the other will probably go
under From present indications it
looks as though the Knights will be worsted.
The great differences between the two organiza-
lions was explained in this way by Mr.. Samuel
Gompers, President of the American Federation
Of Labor: ''rhe American Federation of Labor
makes it the cardinal principle to declare main
tain and secure the autonomy of every trade and
LABOR union IN the exercise of rights regulate
matters connected with its branch of industry
md AhnA L. 1919 l.. - j